Social Media Marketing: The Next Generation of Business Engagement

Part III: Chapter 11 “The Social Graph”

Chapter Summary
The social graph—nearly but not quite synonymous with “social network”—defines the way in which participants on the Social Web are connected and in the process suggests what they might be collectively engaged in at any given moment. The social graph—and your ability to traverse and explore it—is the basis for many of the social applications that exist on the Social Web. This chapter shows you why this is true and how to tap it.

Review of the Main Points
The key points covered in Chapter 11 are summarized below. How might you incorporate these points into the design or use of the social applications you are planning for your business or organization?

  • The social graph is key to the sharing of content and the spreading of shared experiences across social networks.
  • The social graph can be used in business, both as an indicator of who is connected to whom, and as an indicator of who might like to meet whom or where specific content should be pushed.
  • The behavioral aspects of the social graph can be measured and used to monitor and tune the larger social network.

    The social graph—while not as immediately obvious or as visible as shared content or the direct use of a social application—is an absolute key in developing and maintaining a vibrant social experience for the benefit of the participants in that shared experience. The role of the moderators, the design of the interaction points, and the degree to which participants can discover potentially valuable relationships are all driven by the existence and makeup of a participant’s social graph(s).


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